ROWDY RODIMUS

So, how was everyone's week? Mine was as busy as (apparently) Kelly Kelly with the WWE locker room.

"How dare you disparage the image of Kelly Kelly." I can hear you say, "Why she is a role model to millions of young girls and the fantasy of millions of old men." Ok, dear readers, I can't hear you say that in either the literal or figurative sense. We've long since speculated about Johnny Ace's favorite bikini model but only had rumors of "This person said this" or "So and So said that". Well WWE World Champion (but not WWE Champion, there's a difference. I think.) Randy Orton went on a radio show for an interview, but let's let the members of the Insanity Multiverse (it grew out of just a galaxy just this last week) tell you all about it.

Galaxy

http://randy-orton.com/2011/06/randy-talks-with-98-kupd-arizonas-real-rock/

He'll get a ton of shit for it, particularly the stuff about Kelly, but it's rare to hear a WWE main eventer be so honest about everything.

"I've been a wrestler ... sorry, a WWE superstar. I can't say I'm a wrestler even though you're going to come see me wrestle."

"We're not going to come see you superstaring."

Mike Johns

it's been getting a lot of talk on Twitter. he basically called KK a slut, and supposedly airs a lot of CM Punk's deal on-air. Need to hear this one for myself..

galaxy

The stuff about Kelly isn't really a surprise and she's had the rep for a while. (And yeah, I know there's a double standard because Batista's considered a stud for sleeping around, and she gets labelled a whore for doing the same thing.)


Colt Cobana was once joked: "I knew I wasn't welcome in WWE...Kelly Kelly wouldn't even f*** me." And I've heard a bunch of other hints about it.

Drewcifer

I can't believe he didn't mention the time he pooped in Stacy Kiebler's (?) gym bag.

James Guttman

Randy's been apologizing on Twitter for this. As soon as I saw he did an interview like this, I knew the apology tour would start the next morning...

Aaron Wood

As long as he doesn't claim his interview was hacked...

The (Cho-cho) Chosen 1

Eh, he just apologized for what he said about Kelly really... but how can he just expect her to forgive him? haha

Drewcifer

Dear Kelly Kelly,

I want to apologize to you for the things I said regarding your affinity for intercourse with multiple partners. I was out of line for talking about the time Batista tied your ankles together behind your neck, the time you polished Khali's Bollywood, made Undertaker's Deadman rise, got a 5-knuckle shuffle from Cena, stroked Bret Hart, had sexus with the new Nexus, went ballin' with MVP, or swallowed a Steveweiser. At least I didn't bring up the burning chlamydia you gave Kane.

Sorry about all that,

Randall K. Orton

PeterDawson

Could be worse, could have made a hotdog down a hallway remark.

XarsenicKissX

So finally listening to this, and fuck, who knew Randy has a sense of humor?

So I heard there was this pretty big deal at the end of RAW Monday involving CM Punk (and for once not involving a female wrestler on the indie circuit, but those are stories for another day). Was it a work? Was it a shoot? Was it a worked shoot? Did you see any of it on TV or any other form of media the WWE controls? If so, I think you know the answer to those questions. I will say that it came out of nowhere and got people talking so lets take this opportunity to relive it through the power of the English language.

JohnnyCraze

why does Punk have a Stone Cold shirt on?

Yes, R-Truth won one for little Jimmy!

Hellsinger

God Damn CM Punk is a fucking wind bag!

JT

HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

wolfchild

THAT. WAS. AWESOME!!!

Best ending in quite a while. Not sure I buy the 'realness' of it, but I gotta admit, I'm intrigued..

Nasty Ned

Was the all...dare I say it Real

aliasyoshi

Perfect. Feels a little like the Attitude Era. I actually WANT to see RAW next week. Perfect.

The Green Teabagger

Colt Cabana is trending.

Average

WWEmagazine‎ The mood backstage is...edgy, to put it mildly. @CMPunk is in a meeting with a lot of the people he just called out...

WWE Zone‎ Breaking News: After Raw went off the air, Michael Cole announced to the crowd in Las Vegas that WWE has suspended CM Punk indefinitely.

^Dunno if either of those are legit, but they are fun to read.

Edit: I don't buy any of it... Didn't Cole say someting about "what are they gunna do, fire me?' mode at the beginning of the show?

Edit2: And I don't even care, this is what PW is supposed to do, suspend disbelief. I'll enjoy the ride, this don't happen often.

AyatollahBlassie

Work or shoot, that promo was tremendously entertaining. Punk wasn't lying, he IS the best. ...I just wish WWE would get rid of Cena or turn him hard core heel so I could go back to watching wrestling regularly without gettin nauseous.

PeterDawson

Oh it gets better. WWE.com removed Punk from the superstars page (Chavo's still on it by the way), shut down his facebook page, and the top story on the website is CM Punk being suspended indefinitely. Fan reports (though you do have to take them with a grain of salt) are also saying that Cena came out for next week's taping (Raw isn't live next week they're still in Vegas in case you didn't know and man I'm using a lot of bracketed statements) and said they pretty much need to pretend Punk doesn't exist. He did however chastise the decision. Said fan reports also claim some people backstage, wrestlers and other people alike, were taken aback by the promo. It does seem to have been a shoot, though methinks its a planned one. Seriously, if this an angle, kudos to WWE, I am blown away. If it isn't, well, sucks for Punk, but man did he go out strong. I guess we'll have to wait and see how the taped Raw goes to know for sure.

Shooting

I have a idea on why I think Vince is approved that promo. Since Punk is a heel he putting heat on those companies (and Colt). The problem is that its not going to draw any big number (or even small numbers) extra over if they didn't do that promo. Its targeting the to the 'internet' fan who normally buys the show or streams/downloads the show so there is very little extra income from those people. To me its just a waste of air time

TheAmoralOne

I was watching Raw with non-wrestling fan friends (ie people who were huge into wrestling in the late 90s and then said "fuck it") and come the CM Punk promo they were intrigued, so for once I don't feel like a complete asshole for making my friends watch WRESTLING.

James Bullock

Honestly, I could care less what happens next week. This is the first time since Nexus debuted that I actually care what's about to happen with something involving Cena. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've actually cared about someone winning/keeping the WWE title since Eddie vs. JBL.

Squeaky

Just a great wrestling moment. It's something you had to tune in to watch...remember when that happened? When you had to watch Raw live because you didn't know what would happen?

Exx

I'm gonna be pretty disappointed if this ends with anything other than Punk leaving with the belt getting wins over Cena and the money in the bank winner. I can't think of a better time for the mitb winner to cash in and fail than in this situation. Could be quite the memorable moment.

The final bit of I'm going to cover from the WWE portion of the forum really had nothing to do with the WWE. Instead, it involved someone who seemed to want to make their mark here by disparaging certain members of the site and writers for their supposed lack of criticism for WWE. The whole thing was done badly since if you have a problem with certain writers or they don't see things the way you do, all you have to do is ignore them...or even just express yourself in a normal way without name calling or threats. You don't make a thread calling them out. With that said, the members of the WWI Multiverse turned the thread into a more appropriate one.

Tenchi

Battlefield Earth?

To be fair though, I'm hard-pressed finding a movie worse than that. No Holds barred would be an oscar-contender compared to that.

Mike Johns

Rip scares the dookie out of someone as Vince McMahon proves he's not a great movie producer, or L. Ron Hubbard proving he doesn't know what a plot is while John Travlota overacts on a level previously unknown to man.

Tough call.

Drewcifer

I wondered this last night, so I'll just go ahead and ask it here:

Were the red Imperial Guards in Star Wars droids or people in armor? And if they were people, were they clones?

PeterDawson

Pretty sure the contender for worst film of all time is that damn animated Titantic movie, and I don't mean the one with the rapping dog, I mean the one with the talking sharks.

Nasty Ned

you mean Titanic 2 is the worst movie ever.....it does exist and i know people who have watched it

Ravnos

I believe in some of the books and video games it has been suggested that they are clones who are more in tune with the force than the others, which is why they get to be the Emperor's personal guard.

PeterDawson

To clarify my point, this Titanic Musical (I believe its just called the Legend of the Titantic and is Italian) retcons historic events that we know happened to involve talking animals, sharks that apparently escaped from jail, and a giant octopus with the face of a dog. Methinks that's worse than making mysterious being BS aliens in a bad sequel as it goes beyong stupid into insulting.

The Green Teabagger

I'm still waiting for an apology for anything Marlon and Shawn Wayans, especially White Chicks.

Throw Tyler Perry in that mix too for that matter.

Wolfchild

See... I didn't mention Phantom Menace because a lot of people kinda thought that movie was okay with one bad element (Jar Jar) Now... Marlon Waynes movies by himself deserve some though.. GI Joe and Dungeons and Dragons spring to mind.

However.. There are so many contenders that could make this list. Batman and Robin. My Stepmother is an Alien. From Justin to Kelly (pity me, I had to see that). Gigli. Catwomen. Son of the Mask. and Glitter...

Then there are movies that we've seen that don't 'speak' to us. Tyler Perry fits well here. I know I personally cringe whenever my gf reaches for My Best Friends Wedding.

Theman6201

The Red Imperial Guards are not droids. Whether they are clones or just highly trained people is up for debate. They are supposed to be extensions of the senate guards you see in the Phantom Menace. (They're blue with open face plates.) We know they are people because in a cut scene from Return of the Jedi, Vader walks into Palpatines throne room and kills them by strangulation. I personally view them as clones, as Palpatine would want people completely loyal to him.

As for the worst movie of all time: Mafia, starring Jay Moore. I payed $2 to see it as a cheap-o second-run theather and regretted it. It takes a lot to regret paying two bucks for a movie. A close second has to be Envy, starring Ben Stiller and Jack Black. Paid to see it in theaters and didn't laugh once. Not even a chuckle. I felt bad for the actors in the movie, because that shows up on their resume somewhere. That bad.

JohnnyCraze

Interesting thread.
The Wayne's Brother's movies were all pretty bad. I've only seen one of the Tyler Perry movies and I forget the name but yea, that was bad too.

The Great White Dope

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka = awesome
Don't Be a Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood = awesome
Scary Movie = awesome
Scary Movie 2 = pretty good stuff
White Chicks = horrible
Littla Man = seriously?

and then

That movie where Marlon Wayans was a college student and co-starred with David Spade. He got super-powers off of medical experiments = can watch
Marlon Wayans in Requiem For a Dream = depressing....so...damn....despressing
Marlon Wayans in that movie where his brother dies and they play college basketball and his dead brother's soul helps him win basketball games = it's been awhile, but it was at least ok.

Wayans Brothers tv show = AWESOME
In Living Color = AWESOME

What the hell ever happened to Shawn Wayans?

How did the Wayans Brothers go from making funny movies to White Chicks and Little Man?

Tenchi

Because they realised that gearing their movies towards the lowest common denominatior would rake in the most cash with the least amount of effort or wit.

As I finish this up (about 5 pm my time) I just noticed a post from a new member of the forums. I read it and it really hit me. Not in a bad way, but just how we take for granted all the wrestling (good or bad) that we here get to see either on TV or live. We see so much of it that we forget the magic that the sport has. We spend almost as much time (or more in some cases) complaining about what we see than we spend just enjoying it, looking to place blame on the bad instead of appreciating the good. Maybe we should try to watch it through the eyes of a child. A child doesn't care if HHH is pushing for Sin Cara or CM Punk might be working the audience, they see it as theres a guy that does the same thing as the Super Heroes in the comics and movies do and wears a mask like one and that CM Punk said some bad things about his boss and will probably get in trouble.

That's not to say that the post I'm referring to was written by a child or a childlike person. Just that we should appreciate what these guys do every week a bit more. Watch what we enjoy and don't waste time worrying about what we find bad or sub par. Life is too short to spend part of it doing things we don't want to (well, except for work, but that's pretty much a given).

So for giving me a reason to rethink why I love this sport (and yes, I do consider it a sport) like I do, I want to give out a special shout out to Nawaaz for his post right here http://s14.zetaboards.com/Wrestling_Insanity/single/?p=8114678&t=6670161

As a result of that shout out, I won't have a Stan Lee Memorial 'Nuff Said Award this week since I wanted to give the newest member of the Insanity Multiverse a chance to shine. Fear not, it will be back next week (as if anyone cares) with two winners, one from this week and one from next week. Yes, chances are it will be another reply to Shooting.

That's it from me this week. I am officially heading out the door in mere moments to enjoy some time away from everything. Before I go let me leave you with this piece of advice; If you do not live for today what is there to live for tomorrow?

Until next week, do me a favor and go see Transformers Dark of the Moon. There might be a test.

THE GREAT WHITE DOPE

There is something so charming about that Canadian Bulldog guy. It could be that he is Canadian. It could be that he is such an adorable looking Bulldog. Look at the way he slobbers on the couch after taking a walk. Awwwwww, he is just so adorable. Look at him bark at that kid riding by on his bike. Shut up! SHUT UP HE'S GONE! So cute. Go get some water little guy. Yeah, there you….HEY STOP PISSING ON THE FLOOR YOU STUPID DOG! Damnit! THIS IS WHY HULK HOGAN BLOCKED YOU! YOU PISSED ON MY NEW FLOOR! James! JAMES! GUTTMAN! Come get your damn dog!

Canadian Bulldog

This may have happened a while ago, but I've just noticed that Hulk Hogan has blocked me on his Twitter page. Not sure why I deserved that, unless he got offended by:

Unless, maybe, it was this Tweet:

World Wrestling Insanity Breaking News ARCHIVE: Hulk Hogan Refuses To Put Sick Child Over In Heaven - http://bit.ly/k4qugb @HulkHogan4Real

Or this one:

Guttman? RT @HulkHogan4Real Oh my God James did it again he's the best ,completely unbeatable. HH

This one?:

YA THINK?!? RT @HulkHogan4Real: The tsunami of wrestling wasn't cool

Couldn't be this one:

Awww, shucks. You're not so bad-looking yourself . RT @HulkHogan4Real: Good morning beautiful Hulkamaniacs. HH

Or, um... the gimmick infringement ones:

We are in negotiations to add the next #iWo member. Will it be @JamesGuttmanWWI ? @HulkHogan4Real ? @charliesheen ? Stay tuned to @ClubWWI !

Good luck, Hulkster! #iWo4Life RT @HulkHogan4Real: Headed to Largo Fitness to train chest and tris,the equipm… (cont) http://deck.ly/~lK0UK

But hey, I'm sure the guy has a sense of humor:

And maybe Suburban Commando could have won an Oscar . RT @HulkHogan4Real: Maby Brooke could be the next Julia Roberts.

How about Ultimate Warrior? RT @HulkHogan4Real: Just learned about Follow Friday, who should I recommend? HH

Canadian Bulldog presents..... Total Nonstop Office (an animated short) - http://bit.ly/g5nU2I @TNADixie @HulkHogan4Real @EBischoff

World Wrestling Insanity Breaking News: Hogan Creates Own "50 Greatest" DVD - http://bit.ly/dIARfz @HulkHogan4Real #TNA

You're much closer in age to that than him. RT @HulkHogan4Real: AJ Styles is a dead man. HH

Or perhaps he delved deeped into my past and didn't care for his True Wrestling Story or my Hulk Hogan to TNA Special Edition

I dunno.... could be anything, I guess.

Mike Johns

Considering I haven't tweeted Dixie in... I don't know... almost 6 months now? (and, provided her account is still up, as last I checked it had been reinstated following the "Verified" graphic debacle)

Anyway, my point is, I've tweeted WAY worse to Dixie than you did Hulk, and I've yet to be blocked.

I also think she doesn't read her Mentions thread at all...

            Aaron Wood

            If she did, TNA would be a VERY different company.

                        Mike Johns

                        Considering her answer to the Russo question on the YouShoot, and how often she pulled the "you weren't there so you don't know" card when someone called BS on her, I doubt that. She honestly came off as the type that actually thinks she knows stuff, even when it's clear she doesn't.

RowdyRodimus

I got blocked by Jim Cornette for an April Fools joke about him and Vince Russo taking over creative in WWE following WrestleMania.

And Mike calls me the Twitter Troublemaker...

ZAH

I got blocked by Lucky Cannon. Quite the badge of honor, actually.

Wait...it wasn't Lucky Cannon...it was that giant fucktard dude from NXT. Eli something or other.


Never mind.

WolfChild

Eli Cottonwood blocked you?

Wow.. I figured he'd want all the attention he could get.

ZAH

Here's what I said at the time in my column :

First up is the "Eli Cottonwood Controversy". Well...not so much a controversy as it was him blocking me. Now, I really didn't think I wrote anything particularly bad,but if he's blocking wrestling fans for THIS, he's got a looooong road ahead of him.



Of course, knowing how bad this lumbering oaf is inside of the ring I couldn't help but respond:



And this, my friends, was the result:


This guy may be big, but he's a big f*ckin' baby. Waah...a wrestling fan made fun of me. Waah...I got kicked off the NXT show for sucking. Waah...I suck. Waah...ZAH has different Twitter accounts and will still follow my lame-ass tweets in order to make fun of me down the road.

Heh...

TheGreatWhiteDope

ZAH is no RowdyRodimus #justsayin

Canadian Bulldog

With all due respect to you guys (and the Lucky Cottonwoods and Jesse Neals and Dixie Carters out there).... this is Hulk Friggin' Hogan. He could stand up to 400 pounds of King Kong Bundy, withstood the terror of Sgt. Slaughter and put the boots to Rowdy Roddy Piper. Yet he can't Hulk Up to little ol' me??

I think a #HoganfearsBulldog hashtag is in order.

So as a community we're putting this out there right now: If you have been blocked by a wrestling personality on Twitter, for something that wasn't abrasive, racist, sickening, horrible, just a light-hearted joke/comment, then join us and tell us your tale. We'll hold a contest for "Best Block" sometime.

With ROH's "Best in the World" happening this past Sunday there has been a lot of talk on the ROH side of our boards. Sure, it has been a few people sided affair but still a big deal. ROH has just come off of their biggest event ever, one that held up to expectation, and three things were clear. First, the Briscoes could be the best gimmick ever, Edwards/Richards brought it, and Kevin Steen is completely crazy.

(NSFW but highly entertaining)

TheGreatWhiteDope

We can say a lot either way, but Briscoes have the promo ability to be huge. And man....it is unique, true, and so awesome.

ZAH

I understand that they're brothers and have a bond and all, but why Jay Brisco never broke away from Mark and become a singles star is beyond me. He's better in every aspect of the business...both inside and outside the ring.

Together they're phenomenal, but Jay should have always been a singles guy...especially now at this point in his career.

TheGreatWhiteDope

Brothers raised in the south...there is totally, probably not a stronger bond around.

Briscoes need to be the new spokespersons for Cambell's Chunky.

"We eating campbell's chunky. SHIT. Campbell's chunky."

James Bullock

            Mark: "We eatin' healthy, baby!"

Mike Johns

Delaware is in the south, now?

As for Jay, he may actually suffer from Matt Hardy syndrome, Phase One, where loyalty to one's brother ends up fucking thy ass hard.

Phase two is when you become a total emo bitch.

Phase three involves a YouTube account, and becoming a professional attention-seeking whore.

Phase four involves letting your dumbass brother taze your girlfriend while drinking, posting the video on YouTube, then taking it down and replacing it with a video where you whine like an incoherent douche about how people are so mean to your dumbass brother.

Fortunately, for us, Jay's condition is still treatable.

TheGreatWhiteDope

I also, highly enjoy how they look at both Briscoes and realize they're both legit rednecks, so when it comes time for promos they find out Jay can talk better than Mark...but it is still just this profane ridden rant about basically everything under the sun. It's the southern version of the ultimate warrior or Snuka to some extent. It's kind of magical.

Also, touché my IWC card should be revoked. I truly assumed they were from somewhere else and never listen to ROH's ring announcer.

And really, let's face it, size wise I don't think either Briscoe could do it as a singles star outside of ROH. Even with WWE being on a slight small guy kick, Danielson, Sydal, Sin Cara, etc, etc, I don't think they'd take a chance on him. Maybe they'd try him out, but i don't think he'd play well for the WWE audience. I also don't think he'd be trusted with a live microphone.

And I'd bet a solid quarter that he makes more money on the indies than he would in TNA.

Mike Johns

It's easy to see the confusion, as they are often seen wearing rebel flags and whatnot. Plus, their part of Delaware could have been considered "Border Country" during the Civil War. And, let's be honest - they SOUND southern as all hell.

There may have been a time jay could have been a singles star for TNA, but it was also, quite frankly, the same period where the Briscoes were their hottest as a team. It's likly just as safe to say at this point Jay makes more money as half of a commodity like the Briscoes than he would as a single, Indy, TNA, or otherwise.

Sure, the possibility exists that Jay could break out and do better for himself, but let's not kid ourselves. At least part of the reason Jay is still with Mark is because they as a team are a draw, Independently Speaking.

TheGreatWhiteDope

I think the Briscoes are the last wrestlers alive who could shock me. In the Abdullah sense, like, how people thirty years ago would've been shocked and amazed that Abdullah wasn't a savage butcher. If I saw the briscoes in public and they were dressed in regular colthes, I said "hi", and Jay responded with something to the effect of "How are you? You enjoy our professional work? Well that is quite good. We thank you for such support. If you don't mind at the current time I must be going. I hate to be rude, it's just that I have prior plans and must be off. Have yourself a fantastic day."

I think I'd just be shocked. To me, the Briscoes ARE the Briscoes. Am I alone in that?

So in the latest video: Richards/Edwards they did a new video with Richards where he states "If I don't win, I'm done."

So, with how Richards kinda wanted out last year...has that maybe come back up? Is this maybe the end of Richards? At least for a decent, small time? Kinda like how Danielson took a few months off, only to come back better and start his reign.

Mike Johns

If the Briscoes aren't the Briscoes, they're in the wrong line of work, because it'd be the greatest acting job ever.

As for Richards, they're pulling an ECW with him. in the sense that they're really tugging at emotions here. I'm honestly expecting him to either lose and have a really emotional comeback later, lose and turn heel, or win and Eddie turn on him.

Given the way they're running with Steen now, my best bet would be Option A. Because B and C seem too simple and too standard wrestling. C is what most people are probably thinking, and B... well... B would force you to turn Davey heel. At a point where, as a babyface, he's rivaling whatever draw Danielson was for ROH. Unless CM Punk is coming back, for absolute sure (which is more fanboy dream than not), turning Davey now would just be bad business, no matter how good the story is.

BUT... they did put the belt on Eddie in the first place. No one saw that coming. They may be crazy enough to go with the Davey turn.

Who knows, really?

(3 Days Later….)

For those who missed the show, both the TV Title and World title changed hands.

El Generico defeated Chris Daniels for the TV Title

and Davey Richards defeated Eddie Edwards in what may just be a Match of the Year contender, easily.

TheGreatWhiteDope

Moment of the night from that Best in the World show came from Steen IMO.

"I am Kevin Steen....AND FUCK RING OF HONOR!"

Just....wow...did not see that coming. Dude is still batshit insane. He really, really shouldn't change that.

Now we get to look forward to Corino bringing him back just to beat his ass.

            James Bullock

            It's one of the few times I've ever gotten goosebumps watching wrestling. Seeing him get carried off like he was crucified while giving everyone the finger was f'n priceless.

TheGreatWhiteDope

So, am I the only one underwhelmed by Homicide/Rhyno? I mean, I dunno...it just had more to offer on paper.

But in all honesty I really hope they keep Rhyno around. The crowd pops off of him and he could do well in ROH. Seriously...Elgin+Rhino = hell of a tag team.

            James Bullock

            I actually quite enjoyed the match. I thought there was more focus on the heightened sense of intensity - thanks to the stip - instead of a whole bunch of weapons and blood. Not being the mass weapon bloodbath many expected it to be, it became a good undercard brawl where the object spots meant more than they would've otherwise.

                        TheGreatWhiteDope

                        I will easily admit it was a good brawl. Hell, I enjoyed that it wasn't the normal indy hardcore match that used everything and the sink just because it says "Hardcore". Ever since he came back, Homicide has just kinda underwhelmed me. That sucks too. I really enjoy Homicide. I haven't seen LAX/KoW yet...but I hear that it's good. 'Cide just doesn't seem to always bring his A-game anymore. Or maybe it's that whole "he is still wrestling tv style which comes off weird at an ROH event" and I, myself, haven't adjusted to seeing that from him yet.

                                    James Bullock

                                    And don't forget the fact Homicide has a plethora of injuries he's still working through, including a torn groin, because he doesn't have medical insurance. Even with the light schedule, Homicide physically broke down during his last year with TNA, and couldn't do anything about it. In a lot of ways, the Homicide we saw from Sunday and the Atlanta PPVs is probably the best Homicide we're going to get.

This Week In WWI Forum History

Welcome back to This Week in WWI Forum History. After a week where there just wasn't time for it and one that just wasn't really suited for a column as this, it is back. This time we're jam packing the history of the forums with lots of past hot threads. First up we're going back to 2006. Let us jump into the way-back machine and get ourselves to…

Moment of Insanity - July 1^st, 2006

First up comes the Moment of Insanity on July 1^st, 2006. Why? Because it was always a hot topic and I'm trying to hint to JG that I want it back. So the votes aren't really even varied. This comes from the week in which there was a WWE PPV and the then "The New and Improved DX" (available at all fine websites and retail establishments) dressed up like Vinnie Mac and Shane-O-Mac. Somehow, it only got worse from there.

(Note: Wow. I was hasty to judge and harsh. What a difference five years can make. I've really relaxed my ‘attack' phase. Although I still kind of agree with myself.)

TheGreatWhiteDope

My vote goes for the complete disrespect WWE showed towards the ECW brand and RVD as champion at Vengeance. Sure RVD retained his title, but his title match was in the middle of the card. They had Kane vs Fake Kane after the WWE world title match.
WWE has no belief in anyone associated with the WWECW product. Not only does RVD get to face Edge in a midcard match for the world title, but they then proceed to job out all of ECW's cast to John Cena and the guys from Heat. I mean how much credibility is there when John Cena can take on ECW when hes backed by Heat guys? Not to mention they had SABU TAP OUT TO JOHN CENA!!!!!! That is horrid and amazingly disrespectful to Sabu's reputation, legacy in the business, and all old ECW fans. It is just appalling. Not only is it disrespectful to all of them but it makes a person wonder why bring back ECW in the first place? To show how inferior it was to WWE? The tipping point comes when after Cena's battle he then gets his cock sucked by RVD for having such a tremendous match. Thus giving Cena a world title shot while proceeding to blow him. It is asinine and unnecessary.

WWE's disrespect towards WWECW at Vengeance is the MOI

(Note: I lost hard and should've waited until after Raw)

JohnBuk

I second what TheGreatWhiteDope wrote....and if RVD loses or is made to look like a chump by   John Cena tonight, then that just strengthens the case even more.

Worst case scenario (and what might happen)- John Cena beats RVD cleanly for the WWE title tonight, then shows up on the ECW show tomorrow and loses a match to RVD for the ECW title when Edge interferes again.

Liviya

Without a doubt, the MOI is that the best match on all of RAW was Mickie/Trish. The Cena/RVD match might have been good, but I was so disgusted by the time it came on I really didn't enjoy it let alone give a fuck what happened.

Keevel

I have to vote for the Slammy's flashback video of vince doing the electric slide.

So often we think that insanity in wrestling is new, it's nice to be reminded that it's never been far under the surface.

            Admiral Jumpship

           
            I'd like yo take it a step further and just give it to the whole DX segment.

            A true HOLY SHIT! insane segment indeed.

Dark Lord

Am I the only one who sees the symbolic irony of a cascading torrent of shit in relation to the new DX angle?

            RiverCityPhantom

            I see it too. Also a symbolic way to "shit on the business" by having a segment like that instead of a wrestling match. Not sure where they really want to go from here, but I've never wanted Game to turn on somebody more than I do at this very moment. Kill DX before it becomes annoying like the NWO.

TrentK

My pick is Raw's Transition from RAW is ASS to RAW is POO!

That whole segment made me depressed. I got a chuckle when both HHH and HBK made there entrances. but then they begun to overstay their welcome. Watching Shawn dance around to a dead crowd made me a sad panda :(. after waisting what i think was 17 minutes of my time.Then to end the segment we get even more shit,only in a different form.

Mike Johns

Gotta go with them dumping shit on the mcmahons and the cheerleaders, if for no better reason that that is exactly what WWE has been doing lately - dumping shit on people.

            Eaglesfn345

            Agreed Mav, the "You Can't Say That On Television"-ization of RAW is getting out of hand. And think of the poor roadies who have to clean that shit up! I mean, it's one thing, say at the end of TNA's last PPV when Jerrett hung up the title and the crowd threw bottles and junk, but that's easy to sweep up and discard. But liquidy poo-colored slime?! Is Vince McMahon not satisifed with making the show's quality sick to the fan's stomachs, but now this? Why not go all out and buy GWAR's famous giant vagina to spray blood on the wrestlers?

TheNewBlack

Poo and the amazing amount of corn in it.
The corn would've made it more authentic if there wasn't enough in there to feed a small African country.

MainEventSquirrel

The fact that VKM literally put shit on TV.... and no one is particularly surprised.

The most telling moment of the whole thing was Michaels doing the stupid dance to a dead crowd. It was almost as if the crowd was politely endurng the performance by the kids with no talent who tried really hard and we didn't want to hurt their feelings by booing them offstage.

Fritz Stephey

MOI definitely would have to be when the shit hit the fan, literally, and found it's way on The McMahons and the Spirit Squad. It's twice in a row DX has dumped something on people they don't like...this time, poo. It wasn't funny, it was just...at most gross and stupid. I mean, it's not like they even tried to make it look fake, they tried making it look like poo (And come on...especially if it looks real...the joke kinda loses it, we just get grossed out more...of course, add 15 minutes to that and the simple fact that you dumped something on a group of people...just, why?).

FuhTooMch

My vote for this week's Moment of Insanity? RAW IS SHIT. Big surprise.

Wow, we get to see Shawn and Hunter put on a shitty skit with the payoff being they dumped shit on Vince, Shane and The Spirit Squad. The rest of the show was shit. Smackdown has been reduced to shit. Vince is shitting all over ECW.

The end result is just that: shit. And that is exactly what Vince is getting from me from now on. Hard earned cash? Undevided attention? Ratings numbers? Nope.

From now on Vince, Steph & Hunter, WWE, whomever, is getting shit from me.

The Green Teabagger

Thought of it during Friday Night Smackdown...

That DX skit would have been funny if Triple H tore a quad or two while dancing to Stand Back.

Yep, that was the week of the DX shit-storm. Luckily, the taste of that skit couldn't even last a week. Why do you ask? Because we're going to stay in 2006 for right now. Because one of the most randomly insane things happened in Indiana. It not only ended a push to the internet darling RVD, but it also was the beginning of the end for Sabu and the new ECW.

Sabu and RVD arrested high and shirtless - July 3^rd 2006

Aaron Wood

I wonder if it was 4:20 in the morning...

I can see the conversation now.
Officer: "Hi there..."
RVD: "Yeah, we are..."

I'm sure I can have a few more by the time RAW comes around...

And on a serious note, given the apparent wellness program which has already done wonders for Chris Masters, I wonder who will be randomly chosen tonight...

And on a more serious note, place your bets for next ECW Champion. And, of course, which one of Edge or Cena will win the WWE Title at SNME...

And you never know, by the end of the week, you could be asking yourselves "When does RVD debut in TNA?"

            AliasYoshi

            First off, I don't see this affecting much in terms of RVD. They know he is into smoking some, so this should come as no shocker.

Second, since they already know of his love of doobies, I do not see them getting rid of him anytime soon.

He just needs to be more careful next time. :D

JohnBuk

I'm almost positive that weed isn't even something they're testing for as part of the "wellness" program. It will probably depend on how much if any main stream coverage this gets as to what if any punishment gets handed out.

            Aaron Wood

            All illegal substances are part of the wellness program. And while I'm sure it's not something they desperately worry about, having one of your main champions and another high-profile wrestler get arrested for it is NOT good publicity.

                        JohnBuk

                        You say that very authoritatively. I'll admit my memory ain't great, but I thought Meltzer addressed weed when this whole thing first came down in the Observer and he said that it wasn't something they were worried about so it wouldn't be included in the results of the testing.

And as far as taking something seriously...it's the WWE so if mainstream press doesn't pick up on it, it never really happened- kind of like house shows. But I'm thinking if this story turns out to be true, then it will get a just enough coverage that they will have to be address it with discipline. RVD is probably lucky that it happened when he was champ because that will likely lessen his punishment. I just hope they don't get rid of Sabu.

Seion

Seeing as how they have already made bad puns about him being a pothead on air, this will only add to that. :D

Veri

Bet you $100 Triple H is laughing his ass off right now.

James Guttman

They're the Jim Duggan and Iron Shiek for a new generation!

Hooooooooooo!

The Green Teabagger

I think this was the excuse WWE was looking for to say, "See, we put RVD in main events [kinda] and look what happened! Next time, just listen to us and believe that we know who belongs in the main event when we push uber-talented guys like Snitsky, Viscera, and Khali"

I think Aaron's right...if there was any doubt before, RVD will be dropping the belt at SNME (if there is any justice it'll be Edge) and the ECDub title to Angle or the Big Show.

Frankly, I hope they do fire him and RVD goes to TNA because they would push him to the moon....at least until he gets choked out by Samoa Joe

Eex

I wouldn't be surprised if Sabu got fired over this. RVD probably gets off okay, other than maybe dropping the ECW belt.

David

Rules are for midcarders.

(Note: This needs to be a sign at a show or a T-shirt)

            Aaron Wood

            That's why RVD should be worried then...

Dav

Weed shouldn't even be illegal ffs. It's practically part of his character and gimmick anyway, I say make a story out of it (CM punk playing his "straight edge" character on ECW tv is made for a quick squash of Sandman, then moving onto a big feud with RVD if you ask me)

Tenchi

I think that WWE are gonna be more pissed off that they got CAUGHT rather than for actually possessing the stuff in the first place, tbh.

            ZAH

            I don't think the weed is the major issue here (regardless of what pics are shown on WWE.com). It's the pills that will get both men in serious trouble.

I agree, though, that this would be a perfect opportunity to debut Punk IF the WWE decides to exploit the situation (although I don't think a squash of Sandman helps things any or is realistic at this point).

                        WillisBigBoy

                        They will work it out somehow, cause lets all be honest...without RVD and Sabu ECW will die quick. Sandman and Dreamer could both be considered the face of ECW for their past accomplishments, but neither can carry the show now. Angle or Big Show as the Main Eventers by themselves wont work cause the true ECW crowd will never fully accept either as such. So that leaves them no choice but to keep RVD and Sabu or kill ECW prematurely and i don't think Vince is ready to do that yet.

Exx

Well, Lawler should have a heck of a promo tonight.

Photos of the arrest have finally made their way to the internet:

At this point we're going to go to 2009 and check out the start of a bandwagon. What bandwagon you ask? Well, the ‘CM Punk is an amazing heel bandwagon'. You know, the exact same one people are on this week. How did the WWI Forums react? How did it even come up? The same way it always does, by going to the boards.

Anthony.Analog

Um... ok. So I should've posted this earlier. But regardless, the gradual heel turn of CM Punk has been an absolute thing of beauty to this point, and really hasn't been seen in a turn of any direction for years.

The Green Teabagger

I was on this train the second he debuted on ECW, in the luxury car.

NidiaFan

Count me in. I'll sit in the back. I'm used to being driven around (especially after the 4th DWI).

James Bullock

I've been strapped in since Extreme Rules. I haven't been so excited to see something from WWE in years.

AliasYoshi

What kind of wagon do we have here? I could sit in the back with NidiaFan. Or just plop me somewhere with space. I am kinda tall, so please respect the knees. Thank you.

SabuIsGod

I'm buying the first case of beer for this roadtrip!

Aaron Wood

Like you needed to ask...
Indeed, anyone who isn't on this should be lined up in front of the road for us to run over.

            ThinkSoJoe

            here's something I don't say very often - I agree with Aaron!

TheGreatWhiteDope
i just wonder how many ROHbots are in this bandwagon because i think we're the ones that have been awaiting it since day 1.

and yeah...duh....i think we're all in

Rytman

Don't get too optimistic people.
The WWE could very well knuckle-fuck this any time they want to.

            TheGreatWhiteDope

            you shut your dirty little whore mouth

right now.

they might be reading............

Mike Johns

If anything, it's a "realistic" turn. A guy corrupted by his own desire to succeed. Pro wrestling should have more stuff like this. It might help us garner a little more respect from the haters.

Aaron Wood

To be honest, especially after last night's Smackdown, I'd say it was Jeff that was the heel. He was certainly a prick.

            Chazlo

            Yeah, I mean Punk is clearly the bad guy in this scenario, but Jeff is certainly giving off plenty of douche-vibes (not that it matters because his fans will cheer for Jeff no matter what he does it seems)

                        Anthony.Analog

                        the jefficoholics would cheer him shooting up in the center of the ring.

and vince would main event him long as they kept buying arm bands and t shirts.

I think we're just going to put this final piece in here this week to show something. Late June of 2008 here is the TNA thread talking about one thing: the rating. Needless to say whenever the talk of TNA's rating comes up you could basically just copy and paste this section over and over. Also, ZAH drives some TNA news into the ground.

TNA Ratings and the announcement of a move to Monday Night - June 28^th, 2006

Clifffside

Its seems that TNA is about to follow in the steps of the Notorious B.I.G on Nov. 1st of this year.

            ZAH

            They're going to die?

            ZAH

            People are going to continue to think they're better than they actually are?

            ZAH

            They're going to start an East Coast/West Coast feud?

            ZAH

            They're going to start selling crack?

            ZAH

            They're going to be known for their loose, easy flow?

Aaron Wood

Very disappointingly, Impact went back down to a 0.9 this week.

            Clifffside

            Cliff says that the NBA draft took away viewers. I'm just kidding.

I feel that TNA's ratings don't matter at this point for one reason. 0.9 to 1.2 is about as much as they can do right now. They can't go any higher on Thursday nights because there is too much competition on TV and Thursday Nights isn't a wrestling night like it was 10 years ago.

When Impact moves to Monday Nights, then I'll be looking to see if they can maintain that 1.0 up against Raw. If they can, then they should go ahead and put the show on Monday Nights because there is a wrestling audience who have been tuned in for the past 15 years that they can reach for, unlike on Thursday Nights.

Aaron Wood

What competition is there exactly that's on right now? As far as I'm concerned TV is out of season, because there's nothing for me to download, other than The Mole.

Plus, any time they've even directly against WWE, they've been killed. They couldn't keep a 1.0 going on a Monday.

Clifffside

I disagree. I think TNA can hold its own against Raw over time. They just need to get the word out that there is another wrestling show on Monday Nights. I think after they move Impact out of the Impact Zone and have a live show each week, then they should bring the show to Monday Night where there is actually a wrestling audience that they can attract, unlike on Thursday Nights

JohnnyCraze

I agree Cliff. Thursday nights are killing TNA and I personally believe they should move to Wednesday nights. I think moving to Monday nights is still at least a year or two away.

Almighty_monkey

Ugh. The only nights that can have a negative impact on viewing figures for wrestling is Fri and Sat, and thats because half your target audience is out getting pissed.

Impact suffers because its poorly written so it turns off a lot of new viewers. Thats its problem plain and simple. Moving to Spike didn't change anything. Getting Primetime didn't change anything. Another night isn't going to change anything. Put on a decent program and they will come. Don't and they won't. Simple.

Aaron Wood

PRECISELY!

Thursday night has been a big wrestling night since the Monday Night Wars and Smackdown & Thunder were battling it out at that time. The whole of Impact going on Thursday nights in the first place was to try and pick up viewers that Smackdown left behind when it went to Fridays.

TNA, and frankly, their fans, sound silly when trying to claim that the probelms are always timeslot related. As alrighty_monkey said, none of the changes that TNA claimed would turn things around and were just what the company needed have never worked. They got on Spike but it was in a crappy timeslot. They got on primetime, but it was only a 1 hour show. They got 2 hours, and suddenly, the problem all along was that they weren't up against RAW!

The fact of the matter is that while they have incrementally, but nominally, improved each time they've moved timeslot, the ratings have gone absolutely nowhere...at best!

Hell, if Smackdown could build an audience out of thin air on a Friday night, then TNA should be able to get an audience on what has been a traditional night for wrestling. But as long as they keep putting out bad TV, it ain't gonna happen.

And let's just say that they were to move to against RAW next week. And let's just say that they do nothing in the ratings. RAW stays stready, impact plateaus almost immediately at, say a 1.2. What is the next excuse?

Clifffside

Ok you two guys have your opinion and thats fine. I still steadfastly believe that Impact has peaked in its current spot on television and the next step is increased advertising, live shows, getting out of the Impact Zone and moving to Monday Nights because Thursday Nights is NOT a wrestling night anymore. I can pull out the numbers to prove it (don't make me go there)

As for Impact only doing say a 1.2 on Monday Nights, there are no excuses to be made because that would be GREAT news for Spike and TNA. TNA has a better chance of taking that 1.2 to 2.1 on a Monday Night because a wrestling audience is already tuned into wrestling on Monday Nights. All TNA would have to do is reach out and grab those viewers and bring 'em over to Impact. Doing that is next to impossible on Thursday Nights because Thursday Nights are when the best shows from each network are going up against each other. Little known TNA has no shot of penetrating those viewers unlike Smackdown which is already WWE; therefore the notion of them building an audience on Friday Nights out of thin air is false because WWE has built an audience throughout the last 50+ years.

Bottomline is, TNA's show quality has nothing to do with why they can't break through ratings wise on THursday Nights. That kind of thinking is confined to this wrestling bubble mentality you guys on the net seem to have. Ya gotta understand the surrounding circumstances that face TNA and what it takes for viwers to initially tune into a new program in the first place.

Now I know Imma get a long winded response from a certain person (or persons), but before you go ahead and respond, remember to make your arguements with facts, not opinions.

            RDLee

            Sorry, but that is EXACTLY why their ratings are low. Hell even I stopped watching Impact because of the horrible show quality and I never in a million years would have thought that would happen. I realize thats my opinion but it makes you wonder if the other viewers are doing the same thing.

                        Clifffside

                        Look, the point I'm making here is, no matter how good Impact is quality wise, if no one hears about them and if there isn't a wrestling audience for them on Thursday Nights, then they aren't going to reach even the 2.0's. Bad show quality only leads to them losing the viewers they already have, good show quality only leads to them maintaining the viewers they already have (not increasing them) because they STILL have an almost non-existant marketing plan in action AND watching wrestling on Thursday Nights isn't the thing to do anymore like it was a decade ago.

ZAH

I could be wrong here, but doesn't Thursday nights have the largest viewing audience out of any night on television?

And again I could be wrong, but wasn't Spike TV and TNA both hoping to garner some casual fans who were missing out on Smackdown's switch to Friday nights by putting Impact on Thursdays?

And once again, correct me, but wasn't it just a week before the debut of the 2-hour Impact that Daisy actually claimed that Thursdays weren't what she was ultimately looking for and that up 'til that point everybody within TNA was totally stoked and excited about finally having the "final piece of the puzzle" in place (i.e. a 2-hour show on a great competition-free night)?

And...well, y'know...correct me and all, but wasn't Spike disappointed in the 1.1 debut numbers and even moreso since Impact hasn't seen any growth of any kind?

And since TNA has this awesome game deal and dvd deal and action figure deal and international tv deals and sell-out house shows...why is it that TNA suddenly can't get the word out to the general public about their product?

So them being on Thursday nights...again, the most-watched night on television and a night that WWE would love to have back...is now the real issue and not their "almost non-existant marketing plan" (your words)?

Sorry...but I'm having a hard time buying that. It seems that for every opportunity TNA is given, there is always an excuse for why they underperform.

Aaron Wood

I don't think you are wrong, factually, on any of those points.

Obviously, I'm not as privvy to whatever advertising there is across the pond, but Impact sure is getting pushed hard over here, especially given the UK tours that have just been and are to come. Hell, I've seen print adverts for the next UK shows in my local evening newspaper! I've never seen WWE shows advertised like this anywhere, never mind in a provincial paper.

As the old saying goes, if a tree falls in the woods and no-one hears it, does it make a sound? If TNA's advertising in the US is "almost non-existent", maybe them and their fans should put more stock in using that to get them out of their bind instead of getting on Monday nights against RAW in the false hope of them getting some of RAW's audience when the reality is that they wouldn't. They ain't WCW, despite all the similarities in mindset.

Clifffside

I could be wrong here, but doesn't Thursday nights have the largest viewing audience out of any night on television?

Yes Thursday Nights is the best TV night................

..................for everything other than wrestling

And again I could be wrong, but wasn't Spike TV and TNA both hoping to garner some casual fans who were missing out on Smackdown's switch to Friday nights by putting Impact on Thursdays?

Yes they were hoping, but it hasn't happened because TNA doesn't advertise and market itself good enough to get people to tune into their program in the first place.

And...well, y'know...correct me and all, but wasn't Spike disappointed in the 1.1 debut numbers and even moreso since Impact hasn't seen any growth of any kind?

No Spike TV were and still is happy with TNA's rating because Impact is the highest rated original series they have on their entire network. Don't you read the reports on multiple occasions of Spike TV officials throwing parties and being happy with their relationship with TNA internet guy???

And since TNA has this awesome game deal and dvd deal and action figure deal and international tv deals and sell-out house shows...why is it that TNA suddenly can't get the word out to the general public about their product?

Yup an awesome game deal, dvd deal, action figures, international tv, sold-out house shows...............


.............. and the only people that notice them are on the internet not the general public. Let me ask you something, when was the last time you saw a commercial for Impact on Monday Night football??? When was the last time you say World Heavyweight Champ Samoa Joe on David Letterman or Jay Leno talking about TNA's new game or touring success. How about Kurt Angle appearing on the Today Show like Vince McMahon, The Big Show or Floyd Mayweather to promote a big PPV. Apart from the Pacman Jones thing, has TNA even been mentioned or reffered to on a popular cable network outside of Spike TV like an ESPN??? The answer to that is NO. Guess what, thats where the "general public" is tuned in right now. How about a full page ad in the New York Post to promote this Hard Justice PPV thats coming to the NY/NJ metro area. Can you explain why they don't advertise locally for PPV's and thus end up papering almost every other month?

The bottomline is they aren't getting the word out to the general public, all you have to do is open your eyes and see for yourself.

So them being on Thursday nights...again, the most-watched night on television and a night that WWE would love to have back...is now the real issue and not their "almost non-existant marketing plan" (your words)?

I'm saying the combo of their weak marketing and Thursday Nights being very competitive are the main reasons why they won't break through in the ratings.

And so what if Smackdown would like to return to Thursday. WWE has an audience that will follow them regardless of where they move their show because 50+ years of promotion is behind them. TNA has been on TV for close to 4 years and in primetime for less than 2. You really expect them to pull in the 2 point whatever ratings that Smackdown is pulling in now???

Sorry...but I'm having a hard time buying that. It seems that for every opportunity TNA is given, there is always an excuse for why they underperform.

I'm not excusing TNA of anything. If anything, I'm pointing out why they can't get out of their own way and go higher than what they are doing now.

Give me a break with this weak "making excuses" routine you got going. I'm giving my opinions just like you are giving yours. If you disagree with em fine. But don't try to make me out as some type of apologist for TNA when I'm not.

As the old saying goes, if a tree falls in the woods and no-one hears it, does it make a sound? If TNA's advertising in the US is "almost non-existant", maybe them and their fans should put more stock in using that to get them out of their bind instead of getting on Monday nights against RAW in the false hope of them getting some of RAW's audience when the reality is that they wouldn't. They ain't WCW, despite all the similarities in mindset.

Well I disagree there.

Like I said before. Increased advetising and marketing, touring outside the Impact Zone for TV and doing a live show each week puts TNA in position to compete. If you have those three things then why not move to Monday Nights to go head-to-head with Raw and try and have people change the channel? TNA always talks about wanting to make a run at the number one promotion, and it can't happen in the spot where they are now.

You guys may or may not think its a good thing to do, but in my opinion TNA has to do those 3 things and then move to Mondays in order to at least attempt that goal.

Aaron Wood

But that is assuming that people are going to watch Impact, which is shit 90% of the time, and usually a lot worse than RAW on its mediocre nights, and decide to stick with that. Do you seriously think that Impact is a good enough show to compete against a 15 year mainstay?

That would be like the XFL taking on the NFL and, well, look how that one turned out.

            RDLee

            hey the XFL had "HE HATE ME"!!!!

He equaled ratings!

                        DrowGoddess

                        I remember that. I should hate you for bringing it up. I hate myself more for remembering it, though.

Clifffside

What type of fan do you mean, Cliffside? Please explain. And as opposed to what? I'm quite serious, I don't mean it in an insulting or bitchy way.

I'm the type of fan that wouldn't usually watch wrestling if it weren't for the entertainment and storyline aspect of it. I want the opposite of what most people on the internet want in pro wrestling. For example, I don't like longer matches on TV, they bore me after a while. I like larger than life characters instead of regular cookie cutter wrestling personas. I'm one of those fans that stopped watching wrestling after the Attitude Era was over.

I honestly don't understand how the argument can be made that the quality of the product doesn't matter in terms of audience expansion, because if you can't keep the already-devoted fans who know it's there and WANT to watch coming back, how on Earth can new viewers be expected to get interested?

You guys are still missing my point.

I meant that the quality of Impact, no matter how good of a show they put on week in and week out will not improve in the ratings under current circumstances. I feel TNA has peaked in viewership in their current spot on TV.

First let me explain that a singles rating point here in the US is about equivalent to roughly 1,128,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 112.8 million TV homes.

Source: http://television.aol.com/news/nielsen-ratings

Lets backup to when WCW had Thunder going on Thursday Nights (which was from Jan. 1998 to Jan. 2000).

In the two years that they were on Thursday Nights they averaged the following

1998: 3.65 rating = about 4,117,200 households
1999: 2.77 rating = about 3,124,560 households

WWF Smackdown didn't come on the scene until its pilot episode in April of 1999 and then its regular debut in Aug. 1999. They averaged in 20 weeks a 4.54 rating which is about 5,121,120 households.

So from the beginning of 1998 through to the end of 1999 you had anywhere from 4,117,200 to 8,245,680 households watching wrestling on Thursday Nights.

Sources for Ratings info: (here goes your raw data)

http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/wcw/wcwthun.htm
http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/wwf/wwfsmck.htm

Like I said, you don't get those kind of numbers on Thursday Nights anymore. The reason for that is the viewership experienced in the late 90's was part of a wrestling boom that is long over.

Wrestling isn't the thing to watch anymore. Just look at a Thursday Night lineup from 9pm to 11pm when TV is in season. Impact has to go up against shows like The Office, ER, 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and CSI. Not to mention sports events like the NBA finals or college football in the fall. In order to reach the level of viewership that Thursday Nights used to get for wrestling, TNA would have to attract viewers away from multiple successful TV shows that have been a staple on Thursday Nights for the past couple of years.

In my opinion, Monday is the only night left that can garner 4 to 5 millions households to tune into wrestling consistantly. I feel once TNA establishes itself in advertising/marketing, live shows and touring Impact, then they will have a better chance of gaining viewers on Monday Nights.

Victor The Cleaner

You make a good case. And I see where you're coming from.
However, I'm still going to disagree slightly.

Like I said, you don't get those kind of numbers on Thursday Nights anymore. The reason for that is the viewership experienced in the late 90's was part of a wrestling boom that is long over.

Wrestling isn't the thing to watch anymore. Just look at a Thursday Night lineup from 9pm to 11pm when TV is in season. Impact has to go up against shows like The Office, ER, 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and CSI. Not to mention sports events like the NBA finals or college football in the fall. In order to reach the level of viewership that Thursday Nights used to get for wrestling, TNA would have to attract viewers away from multiple successful TV shows that have been a staple on Thursday Nights for the past couple of years.

I'll give you the part about the boom in the 90s. But what you say about the shows Impact has to go up against really makes no sense. Smackdown and Thunder had to go up against the Must See TV juggernaut which included the aforementioned ER, Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier and Will & Grace - all shows that were at least as big, if not bigger than the shows Impact has to face now. How is it Smackdown and Thunder were able to garner such ratings against those giants, yet Impact can't do the same?
I know you'll disagree with me, but it's because Impact is a far inferior show to either Smackdown or Thunder. Now, Thunder wasn't that good, but it didn't need to be. It was the secondary show. Same with Smackdown. But Impact is the one and only for TNA and they have got to up the stakes a little. Because right now, to me, it just looks like they don't care. If they can't do it on Thursday, a night where there are way more viewers sitting in front of their television sets, then they won't make it on Mondays. Hell, they don't even deserve the shot right now.

JohnnyCraze

Cliff is right on most of his points especially when he says the "wrestling" is better then raw which is absolutely correct. The storylines have to improve on impact though and once that happens, I believe impact will be a solid show to watch every week.

…and on, and on, and on, and on. So, are you a fan of Total Nonstop Action Presents Impact Wrestling? Want to talk about something other than ratings? Or would you like to talk about the ratings? Then you need to get your lazy fingers on that mouse and click that forum button up at the top right of this exact page. After that I'd like you to make-up a username and a password. Start posting on the site and enjoy. Bonus points to the most obscure Simpsons reference in a screen-name. Well…the first person to register "Bort".